This study investigates the impact of community college students' participation in mentored undergraduate research, with an emphasis on STEM transfer students. The STEM Academic Research and Training (START) program at Wake Technical Community College was designed and implemented by community college faculty and staff and was evaluated in a…

Learning assistance services offered by U.S. community colleges are vital to the academic success of many students, but the tutors themselves remain understudied. This paper attempts to narrow both the research and recognition gaps by exploring and categorizing prominent aspects of professional community college tutors. Using a small-scale,…

This study investigated the impact that co-curricular programming delivered by the University Honors Program (UHP) at North Carolina State University through the Honors Forum course had on first-year students' self-reported knowledge of civil discourse, their assessment of its importance and impact, and their evaluation of their commitment to the…

The Minority Male Success Initiative (MMSI) serves as a system-wide grant opportunity from the North Carolina Community College system aimed at improving success outcomes for male students of color (North Carolina Community Colleges, n.d.). This study explored and examined the experiences of men of color who participated in MMSI programming and…

Community colleges are frequently an affordable, accessible entrance to a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and career, but the transition from a 2-year program to a 4-year institution can be tumultuous. In this mixed-methods study, we explore the experiences of transfer and prospective transfer students. Through…

This study used an in-depth qualitative multi-interview approach to explore the lived experience of associate in applied science (AAS) students at a community college in North Carolina. The purpose of this study is to explore the aspirations of community college students enrolled in career focused AAS programs to understand their stated goals, the…

U.S. military veterans attend college in increasing numbers, yet, often without a sense of attachment to their university. This mixed-methods exploratory study examined sense of belonging, happiness, and stress-coping outcomes for student veterans (N = 9) participating in a backpacking event. Results indicate the treatment group's happiness level…

This article provides an exploratory case study of place-based pedagogy developed in partnership with Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR) at Guilford College. ECAR is the first initiative of its kind to mobilize college and university campus resources to provide housing and other forms of assistance to refugees seeking resettlement in the institution's…

The purpose of this explanatory, sequential mixed-methods (QUAN [right arrow] qual) study was to investigate undergraduates' attitudes toward mathematics and perceptions of a community of inquiry in the fully online (FO) mathematics learning environment. Specifically, the study aimed to learn more about relationships between undergraduates'…

An important future direction for service-learning and community engagement (SLCE) is to collaborate with the sustainability in higher education (SHE) movement. SHE is a diverse, transdisciplinary area of inquiry and practice that seeks to help lead efforts to create a "thriving, equitable and ecologically healthy world." When SLCE…

The purpose of this study was to investigate sense of community (SOC) within a STEM learning community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The STEM learning community that was the setting for this study is funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM grant. A mixed methods design was used to investigate levels of SOC and changes in SOC from…

Despite research and advances in hybrid learning in the field of education, the gap lies in the lack of research focusing on community college students' perceptions of which elements of hybrid classes significantly impact their academic achievement. This problem, often leading to lower completion rates and higher attrition, was particularly…

In the field of network administration and programming, mastery of technical skills as well as non-technical or soft skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving, self-regulated learning, and communication, are increasingly emphasized both in practice and research. While little research exists concerning the instructional practices of such skills…

This qualitative case study explores how undocumented students in North Carolina navigate their identity, belonging, and decision-making about activist efforts. Drawing on fieldwork and interview data (2017-2019), we provide policy context and empirical evidence through the voices of undocumented youth about their everyday realities and dilemmas…

Over 2,000,000 servicemen and servicewomen returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will take advantage of the educational benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and will enroll in community colleges. Despite over 70 years of education benefits for U.S. veterans, there has been little research into the availability and effectiveness of…